Potato and Roasted Cauliflower Salad

(recipe adapted from Food & Wine magazine)

1 1/2 lb cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1/8 cup coconut oil
Kosher salt
3/4 lbs. fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
3/4 lbs. baby red potatoes, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I love grapeseed oil Vegenaise)
1 small shallot, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 cup brined capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
1/8 cup finely chopped parsley
Grated horseradish, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400F.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the oil and season with salt.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until just tender and lightly browned; let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the fingerlings and red potatoes until just tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain.  Spread the potatoes on a large baking sheet and sprinkle with the vinegar.  Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, shallots, mustard, capers, and parsley.  Add the cauliflower and potatoes and toss.  Season with salt to taste and garnish with more parsley, if desired.  Serve with horseradish.

Refrigerate; bring to room temperature just before serving.

(I just mixed some horseradish right in when whisking the other sauce ingredients, to taste.  Really delicious potato salad - makes me want to add roasted cauliflower to every potato salad recipe!)

Savoy Cabbage, Radicchio, and Apple Slaw

(recipe from Energy Times magazine)

1/2 head savoy cabbage, finely shredded (I used Napa cabbage)
1/2 head radicchio, finely shredded
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 1" pieces (I cut mine into thin strips)
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the cabbage, radicchio, onion, and apple in a large bowl and toss together.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and orange juice.  Add the mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste, and whisk until well combined.  Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss until well coated.

Taste, adjust the seasonings, if necessary, and serve.  The slaw will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a day.

(So simple and tasty!  I found the slaw kept for a few days in the fridge.)

Deviled Eggs

(I cobbled this together from internet recipes)

1 dozen eggs
1/3 cup mayo
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. minced shallot
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste

Place eggs in a large pot; cover with water by and inch or two.  Bring water to a rolling boil.  (You can put 1/2 tsp. salt or 1 tsp. vinegar in the water to help the shells become easier to peel.)  Turn off the heat, cover, and allow to sit for 12-15 minutes.

Drain eggs.  Fill pot with cold water and allow eggs to cool.

Peel eggs.  Cut each in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks, place them in a medium bowl, and mash them.  Set whites aside on a dish.  Add remaining ingredients to mashed yolks and mix thoroughly.  Spoon yolk mixture into egg white hollows.  Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

(Tangy and delicious!)

Dill Pickle Potato Salad

(recipe from Food52.com)

3 lbs. small potatoes, halved or quartered
1 jar leftover pickle brine, strained and divided
2 Tbsp. minced shallot
2 to 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise, the low-fat kind without canola oil)
1 tsp. celery salt (I used celery seed)
2 Tbsp. chopped dill
1 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt, to taste

Set aside 1/2 cup of pickle brine.  Strain the rest into a large pot, add enough water to boil your potatoes, and salt it well.  Bring it to a boil, then add your potatoes.  Cook for 12 to 15 minutes; your potatoes are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork.  Just be sure they don't turn to mush.

Drain the potatoes and immediately toss them with 1/4 cup pickle brine and the shallot.  Set aside to cool.

Mix your dressing:  combine mayonnaise, 1/4 cup pickle brine, celery salt, dill, salt, and pepper.  Taste; add more salt and pepper if necessary, and toss in some coriander if you'd like.  Once your potatoes have cooled, toss to combine.  You can serve immediately, but the flavor is better after a night in the fridge.

(What a neat idea!  The pickle brine makes the salad so tangy!  I found the dressing to be a little watery, and would probably add a tad more mayo next time 'round.)

Tofu-Cashew Mayonnaise

(recipe from fatfreevegan.com)

One 12.3 oz. package firm silken tofu
1/2 cup raw cashews (about 2 oz.)
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. prepared mustard, any variety
1/8 tsp. granulated onion powder
salt to taste

Drain water from tofu and place it and all other ingredients except salt in a high-speed blender.  Blend at highest speed until light and creamy.  Add salt to taste and blend again.  Seal tightly and keep refrigerated.  Stir before each use.

(I tried this recipe because I needed mayo for the neighboring japanese pancake recipe and thought I'd give it a try.  Not crazy about using tofu, as I've been trying to steer away from using so many legume-based products.  But I found this to be a nice mayo substitute.  I did not drain the tofu first.  I also added more onion powder and lemon juice than called for, because I like a tangy mayo.  It kept well in the fridge for about a week, and was good both by itself spread on toast as well as mixed with other ingredients for a spicy dip.)

Colorful Vegetable Coleslaw

(recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)

Serves 8 to 10.

1 lb. white cabbage (1/2 small head)
3/4 lb. red cabbage (1/2 small head)
5 carrots
1 cup mayonnaise (I used tofu mayo, recipe in previous post)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. sugar (I used agave syrup)
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. celery seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Fit a food processor with the thickest blade.  Cut the cabbages into small wedges and lace horizontally into the feed tube.  Process in batches.  Next, fit the food procesor with the grated blade.  Cut the carrots in half and place in the feed tube so they are lying on their sides.  Process in batches and mix in bowl with the grated cabbages.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make a dressing and pour enough of the dressing over the grated vegetables to moisten.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

(Really nice, tangy cole slaw.)

Tofu Mayo

(recipe from Christina Cooks)

8 oz. firm tofu
3 Tbsp. stoneground mustard
2 tsp. umeboshi vinegar
3 tsp. brown rice syrup
sea salt
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 Tbsp. corn oil (I used 2 Tbsp. canola oil)

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook tofu for 5 minutes.  Drain well.  Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy.